Mission for happiness
by xstormwolf
Summary: Sequel to flying...hitsugaya is determined to bring matsumoto back to her old self. however, this process might be more perilous than he originally thought...cough, glomping and mud fights, cough ... hitsuxmatsu!
1. mission impossible

**Hiya people ;)**

**this is the sequel to Flying, thanks to all of the people who sent me a pm telling me to continue! **

**it will be 2 chapters (i think) this is the first chapter and the next chapter will come out soon (probably sometime this weekend, but sooner if you review, as it is a proven fact that reviews make me write faster!)**

**this chapter is dedicated to Rachel Noelle, whose stories kept me laughing all week and put me in the right frame of mind for writing hitsumatsu :D**

**so here is chapter 1, it is told from both matsumoto's and hitsugaya's perspectives.**

**i tried to put some humor into this one so ****enjoy!!!**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

I look out the office window at the sky. It's early evening, and the sun is just beginning to sink in the sky. I sigh. Another day, another sunset. Another day of my life that has gone by without Gin. _How are you still doing this to me?_ I cry out in my mind. _Even when you're gone, how are you still such a big part of my life? _

I try to force these thoughts out of my mind by attacking the paperwork that rests in front of me. Whenever I fall asleep, I see Gin in my mind, his slitted red eyes mocking me. So instead of sleeping on the office's couch like I used to, I throw myself into our squad's paperwork. The one advantage of working is that by the time I finish I'm too tired to think about Gin anymore.

Actually, there are two. Because when I'm in the office I can feel the presence of my taicho. His reiatsu is cool and comforting and as long as I am by his side, I feel assured that somehow everything will be all right.

I know that my taicho has been worried about me lately. Whenever I look up at him, I can see his green eyes gazing at me with concern. A few nights ago, he came to me when I was staring at the sunset thinking of Gin. He wiped away my tears and promised that he would never leave me, and I believed him. I still do. The words he spoke that day gave me the strength to stop moping about Gin and smile again. But Gin still haunts me, and no matter how I try, I can't break free.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

I hear Matsumoto sigh, and the anguish that I hear in her voice makes me want to smash something, preferably the smiling face of Ichimaru Gin. Every time I look at her, I see the sadness in her beautiful blue eyes and each time makes me renew the promise I made to myself to hunt down Ichimaru and make him pay for hurting her.

I mean, she's doing paperwork. Matsumoto Rangiku doing paperwork! That is a sure sign that something is wrong. The bubbly Matsumoto that I knew before the betrayal would be out drinking with her friends instead of sitting in, working as if the pile of papers in front of her is the only thing that is anchoring her to life. It's like she's been reduced to a shell of her normally energetic self, and it hurts me to see her like this.

I think that she has recovered some since I talked to her a few days ago, but I can tell that Ichimaru's betrayal has left her with a deep hole inside that I'm not sure is in my power to heal.

But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying.

As I think this, a Hell Butterfly flutters in through the window and lands on my finger.

"Juuban tai taicho, Hitsugaya Toshiro," it chimes. "Yammamoto-soutaicho has summoned you, along with the other taichos of the Gotei 13, to a meeting in order to discuss the recent events that have taken place in the Seireitei. Please come immediately That is all." The black insect lifts off my finger and flaps away.

_Another_ meeting?! Another afternoon spent listening to useless arguments with absolutely nothing being accomplished.

But it was the orders of Yammamoto-soutaicho. I place my brush down, but then I hear Matsumoto sigh again. Looking at her dejected face as she signed her name makes me realize just how much she is suffering right now. I can't leave her alone, not now. She's not just my fukutaicho, she's my friend, and I…I love her.

The words slip easily into my mind, and they ring with truth. I love her. I love her, and her happiness means everything to me.

…_Yammamoto-soutaicho has summoned you…Please come immediately…_

I'm either going to have face the wrath of Yammamoto-soutaicho, or live with the Matsumoto that I love slip away more and more as time goes by.

As if I even have to think about it.

Screw Yammamoto. That old man doesn't need me, while Matsumoto…while Rangiku does. You don't have to be a tensai to figure out that she needs support and comfort, a way for her to smile and be herself again. Her blue eyes, normally so bright, look lifeless.

I swear to myself that I will find a way to show her that there were people who cared about her. I will find a way to bring her back and make those eyes light up again.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

I blink, and the world snaps into focus again. I look up and see my taicho gazing at me with an unreadable expression on his face. I remember that I had seen a Hell Butterfly come in, but I must have zoned out and missed the message.

"Taicho?" I ask. "Is something wrong? What did the Hell Butterfly say?"

Now there is determination, burning in the emerald depths of his eyes.

"It was nothing important," he replies. "Come with me, Matsumoto." He gets up from his desk, and beckons for me to follow him. I stand up slowly, unsure of what is happening.

I trail him silently as we exit the building. The sun is setting, staining the clouds in brilliant hues.

"Rangiku," I turn to face him in surprise. He hasn't called me by my first name since that sunset last week. He's holding out his hand to me.

I stare at his outstretched arm in confusion. "Taicho…what—?"

He cuts me off. "Do you trust me?"

"O-Of course I do taicho," I stammer.

"Then take my hand."

I look at his green eyes, but in my mind I see another figure. Gin. Gin had extended his hand in the same way, back when we were growing up, offering me precious food. But then he had broken his promises and abandoned me. But my taicho is nothing like Gin.

My taicho had promised me that he wouldn't abandon me either, and I know that he keeps his word.

I trust him, not only with my life.

But with my heart.

I take his hand, it is pleasantly cool and I can feel hard calluses from sword training. Suddenly he whispers something and icy wings spread from his back. I'm surprised; I had no idea that he could use a partial version of his bankai. But in one swift second, I have no more room for thoughts.

Because we're flying.

My taicho's wings are barely pumping, but we are soaring effortlessly beneath the rainbow clouds. The feeling of the wind rushing beneath us is exhilarating.

"Hey taicho?" I ask; smiling a little as a thought comes into my mind.

"What is it?" he responds warmly.

"What if somebody looked up at me and saw my boobs?" He rolls his eyes. "Of all the things to worry about…I _could_ drop you right now, but instead you're thinking about people looking up your shihakusho…But, if it makes you feel any better, I will personally hunt down any person that you feel is guilty and turn him into a icicle."

"Awww, thanks taicho," I exclaim. "Coming from you, that's really sweet!" He scowls and the sight makes me want to glomp him. Too bad we're in midair…though maybe I can find a way around that…

I am feeling happier than I have felt for a long time. A laugh of pure joy escapes my lips. And even though it's a long way to the ground I'm not afraid, because I know that my taicho will never let go of my hand.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

She's laughing; her face looks so happy and full of life again. It's worth facing the consequences of skipping a taicho's meeting just to hear Rangiku laugh again.

Suddenly, her grasp on my hand tightens. She pulls me closer towards her.

"What—?" She laughs again.

*GLOMP!*

"MATSUMOTO!!!" I try to yell, but due to the uncomfortable position of my face in her…assets, it comes out more like 'Mafumofo'.

Even though I feel like I am about to die, either from asphyxiation or by crashing into a tree because I can't see anything that's going on around me (because she just glomped me in MIDAIR), I still smile.

Because if Rangiku feels happy enough to glomp me, then that means my mission to bring her back to her old self is working.

But if we survive this flight, mission or no mission, I am going to cover her with so much ice that she won't thaw until next July.

0-0-0

**well there it is...****i hope you liked it! **

**i'm not sure if it as good as the first one, but what sequel is? i had fun writing it and that's what counts.**

**stay tuned for the next chapter, i'm thinking about a songfic so review and tell me what you think of that :)**

**happy friday!**

**-stormwolf527**


	2. mud and laughter

**this scene was completely unplanned, the idea just popped into my head and i thought it was too funny to pass up :D**

**i guess this story will probably be longer than planned, but you guys don't mind right? ;)**

**thanks to Rachel Noelle and SoaringHellButterfly for your reviews, you guys rock!**

**its mostly crack, but i tried to tie it in to the next chapter which will probably come out tomorrow or monday.**

**this chapter is dedicated to all of you hitsumatsu people out there: thanks to you (especially rachel noelle), i'm converting completely to this wonderful couple after i'm done with my other story (cause don't like to leave loose ends unfinished) :)**

**enjoy!**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

My taicho really is a tensai—even with me glomping him, he still managed to land without crashing into a tree or anything! We still did hit the ground awfully hard however; lucky for me I had a nice soft landing…

"Mafumofo! Geroff me!" I hear a muffled voice coming from beneath me.

"Why taicho, how did you manage to get beneath me like that?" I ask innocently as I move to allow him to breathe. He glares at me as he lies on the muddy ground, too breathless to get up. His face is covered in dirt but he still manages to look adorable. I can't help myself, I burst out laughing. I've laughed more today than I have for a long time, and all at his expense.

But when he sees me laughing, the grumpy look that I know means that somebody is going to end up looking like a giant Popsicle relaxes and he actually smiles back.

His smile is nothing like Gin's was; its warmth is so powerful that I feel relaxed inside, like nothing in the world could go wrong as long as he is smiling at me like that.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

I realize just how hard I have fallen for her. The moment she starts to laugh, all of the visions I have of freezing her solid or burying her in two months of paperwork completely vanish from my mind and I start to smile as well. I don't care if she's only laughing because I'm covered in a ocean of mud, as long as she's laughing because of me I know that she isn't thinking about Ichimaru.

I don't care if I'm covered in mud and my haori is probably beyond salvation, as long as she is laughing again then I am happy. Besides, her laugh is so warm and golden that it would be impossible for anybody to not want to smile in return. The happiness on her face is so bright that it seems to make her glow from within.

I will do anything to keep her laughing like that.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

He gazes up at me from where he lies on the ground, the smile on his face still giving me warmth. I feel pleased that I have managed to bring out this happier part of him.

Looking down at him, I realize that he doesn't smile that much anymore, his duties after the betrayal are keeping him even busier than before, and he rarely has time to enjoy himself. His youthful face is usually locked into a frown as he sits at his desk, hunched over endless piles of paperwork, and I can tell that he is saddened when he looks at me still moping over Gin.

But despite everything, he doesn't yell at me to stop thinking about Gin and move on. He is letting me get over him at my own pace, while letting me know that I will always have his support.

And his determination to stand by me, no matter how dejected I get, is the thing is helping me get over Gin and smile again. His smile right now is like the sun, nurturing my smile like a seed ravaged by winter to grow again.

"Ne, taicho," I say. "You should smile more often."

He looks at me with his green eyes, then reaches up and grabs my hand. Suddenly, his small smile spreads into a wide smirk as he pulls me down into the mud with him.

"Taicho!!!" I squeal as I fall. I land in the mud with a smack, sending showers of mud over both of us.

"That was uncalled for!" I protest.

Fair's fair," he grins. "If I'm going to return to the office covered in mud, then you should too!"

I glower at him, though it's hard to stop a smile of my own from breaking out at the happiness I see in his face. Picking up a handful of mud, I lob it at him. I smirk at the shock I see on his face before it vanishes beneath a coat of mud. He wipes the mud out of his eyes, snatching up an even bigger handful.

"All right, you asked for it!" he declares, though there is a playful tone to his voice that I think I've only heard a couple of times. "This means war!"

"Are you sure you don't need a stepladder to reach me?" I tease.

He hurls the mud at me, and soon the air is full of flying mud balls. We keep on going until we both collapse side by side on the ground from laughing so hard.

We lie there together, mud soaking both of our clothes. Even though I will probably regret this later when I try to get all the mud out of my hair, right now I couldn't care less. In fact, I wish that this moment could last forever, mud and all. Because as long as I am next to him, then my world feels complete again.

0-0-0

**i hope you guys liked that, i just found the idea of hitsugaya and matsumoto having a mud fight really cute :D**

**review if you want, i'm mostly writing this for pleasure anyway, i don't think i've had so much fun writing before...i think i'm definitely going to move into the world of hitsumatsu, as they are just so great together.**

**see you next chapter!**

**-stormwolf527**


	3. snow and goodbyes

**Here i am with today's chapter!**

**this one's a little more serious because that's just how it happened...**

**it's really amazing at what comes out, none of this stuff is planned at all. actually the last (or 2nd to last if i add an epilouge) is planned, but i don't know when this story will end anymore :D it WAS only going to be 2 chapters, but after all of the reviews, faves, and story alerts that i got, i'm being seriously inspired to write! so thank you guys, and keep up those things, cause they make me feel awesome ;)**

**but enough of me blabbering, read on!**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

We're lying side by side in the mud, my taicho and I, and this is the most happiness that I've experienced for a long time.

I look up at the sky. Judging by the position of the sun, it's about 6:00, but it is late summer— just a few weeks after the betrayal— so the sun is still bright in the sky.

"Hey taicho?" I ask sweetly.

"What is it?" he responds warily.

"Umm, where exactly _are_ we?"

I'm still gazing at the sky, though I can feel his glare burning on the side of my head. "Well, due to the actions of _SOME_ person whose name shall remain unspoken, I was forced to land here, or else risk smashing into a tree and injuring us both. So, to tell you the truth," he says, calming down a little. "I'm not sure."

"I see," I say cheerfully, getting to my feet. He looks at me suspiciously.

"Where are you going?"

"To the top of that hill. Seeing that we can't really be more lost than we are now, I'm going to explore!" I start to walk up the hill, smirking at his struggles to unearth himself from the sea of mud.

"Hey, wait up!" he yells as he finally succeeds in getting to his feet.

"I'll race you!" I call back. "Last one to the top is a rotten Hollow's egg!"

Laughing at his sputtered protests, I start to run, the wind pushing at my back. I feel like a bird who didn't know how to fly, but has finally gotten the strength needed to spread its wings and take the first, tentative step.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

"Catch me if you can!"

I glare at her back as she races up the hill. But as always, I can't stay mad at her for long and I start to chase after her. There's no way that I'm going to let her beat me. Besides, it's not as if she's naturally athletic, especially when running—her massive…assets…always slow her down. But she did have a big head start, and I'm not sure if I can catch up to her in time.

So I cheat a little—well actually a lot—using a shunpo to reach the top of the hill first. I sit down on a rock to wait for her. I've tried to distract her from her misery and I think that it has worked. She seems full of life again, and I hope that this is a sign that she will be able to fully return to the Rangiku of the past.

I hear panting, and turn my head to see Rangiku arriving at the top of the hill.

"Taicho!" she gasps breathlessly. "You cheated!"

I smirk. "You never said that we couldn't use shunpo."

"That's not fair!" she pouts. "Now I'm all sweaty and gross for nothing!" She plops down beside me, fanning herself with her hand. "And everybody knows that black robes absorb heat! Somebody should complain to Yammamoto-soutaicho about this!"

Then she looks over at me, her eyes lighting up. "Taicho! I just had a great idea!"

I have a bad idea about where this is going.

"No way, Matsumoto."

"But taicho!" she begs. "It's so hot! Can't you make just a little snow?"

I scowl at her. Usually, I dislike using my ability to control the weather. In the summer especially, my office is flooded with people who want to make use of my powers as an air conditioner.

But I guess this time there isn't anybody else around. And it _is_ a hot day.

"Fine," I sigh. Using my mental link to Hyorinmaru, I concentrate and the air temperature drops as snow begins to lightly fall around us. The mud on my robes freezes solid, but seeing the expression on Matsumoto's face as she happily chases the snowflakes like an overgrown kitten, I can't bring myself to regret it.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

I love the snow. I always found it amazing how my taicho can defy nature and make it snow whenever he wants, even in the summer. It kind of reminds me of Gin too. When we were growing up, he would disappear for days on end without telling me where he was going. I would sit in the doorway of our little shack and watch the snow, watching his back vanish into the storm.

To distract myself, I start to gather the snow on the ground. My taicho eyed me warily, in case I was going to throw it at him. Instead, I form it into a ball, and then add more snow on top of it. Using my fingers, I make 2 dents for eyes and give it a smiling mouth so that it now vaguely resembles a person.

When I'm done, I grin and blow on my hands to warm them. "Look taicho! A snowman!"

He examines it. "You definitely have the makings of an artist." he says sarcastically, but he's smiling as he says this.

I look at my creation. The snow had always meant an ending, a goodbye. I decide that this is going to change. I want to think of the smile on my taicho's face instead of Gin's retreating back whenever I see the snow. I don't want to be tied down anymore—I want to fly.

But first I have to say farewell one last time.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

She pauses and for a moment, I see sadness in her eyes.

"Rangiku?" I ask. She looks over at me and smiles a little bit. Then she scans the snow-covered ground. "What are you looking for?"

"Aha!" she declares happily, as she bends over and picks up a large stick that was lying on the ground, shaking the snow off of it as she does so.

"Why do you want a stick?" I ask her. She doesn't respond. Instead, she turns to her snowman, raising the stick in the air. She brings it down; smashing the snowman's smiling face.

She keeps doing this, fiercely attacking the snowman again and again. Soon, it is reduced to a small heap on the ground.

She was completely silent during the demolishing of the snow man, but now I see tears streaming down her face. "Goodbye." she whispers.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

I stare at the little pile that is all that remains of the Gin-snowman. I can feel the tears running down my face, but for each one I shed I feel a little more healed. Then I feel a familiar pair of strong arms reach around me and hold me tight. For a few moments, it is as if the two of us are alone in our little world formed by the falling snow.

The snow around me is beginning to stop falling. I guess my taicho thinks that the snow is depressing me by reminding me of Gin.

"Arigato, taicho," I say as I turn around to face him. Even though my face is wet, I smile. "For everything. But you don't have to stop the snow; I want it to hold a different meaning for me now. It's going to represent a beginning instead of an ending."

_Thanks to you._ I think, though I don't say this out loud. But he seems to read my mind again, because he smiles in return and the snow begins to fall again.

I slowly down and grab some snow in my hand, hiding it behind my back.

"Hey taicho," I say with a grin. He looks at me, a quizzical expression in his bright green eyes.

I pull the snowball out from behind my back. His eyes widen. "Not again—" he manages to get out, before the snowball hits him.

"That's it, you asked for it!" he exclaims, as he shakes the snow off of himself. He concentrates and a huge snowball forms in his hand. "You think you can defeat me in my own element?"

Uh-oh.

SPLAT!

0-0-0

**i leave the rest to your imagination :D they are now covered in mud and ice and their clothing is probably beyond repair. imagine old man yama's face when he sees them...i think i might write a scene with that in it ;)**

**anyway, i hope that you like it, even though it was more serious-minded**

**see you next chapter!**

**-stormwolf527**


	4. kittens and hedgehogs

**Here's todays chapter!**

**i was in the mood for writing fluff today, so that's what you get!**

**i also decided that this sotry will be about 10 chapters (for the 10th division!). it WAS orginally 2 (though i haven't actually put in my original 2nd chapter)...let that be a testimony to the power of reviews! after the story's done, i'm going into a longer story about my new fave pairing :D**

**enjoy ;)**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

I dash through the falling snowflakes with my taicho close behind me. I love seeing his normally frowning mouth turned up in a smile. I'm laughing too, because of him and the mud and snow and everything that he has done for me. I wish that we could stay like this forever.

I glance over my shoulder and see my taicho catching up to me. For a person with such short legs he moves awfully fast. I'm about to push him into a snowdrift—it would serve him right for pelting me with giant snowballs (though I suppose I did throw one at him first)—when I see a pale shape in the snow.

Changing course, I jog over to the figure. To my surprise, I see a white kitten, its fur almost indistinct from the snow around it.

"Look taicho!" I squeal, picking up the small bundle of fur. "It's a kitten!"

"I can see that," he replies, rolling his eyes. "I wonder how it got into the Soul Society…"

"Who cares?!" I exclaim. "The important thing here is that there is an adorable kitten lying here in the snow without a home!"

"No way Matsumoto," he says. "We are definitely not taking the kitten with us."

I give him the puppy-dog eyes. "But taicho, we can't just leave it here! And I promise I'll look after it and everything."

"No."

I hold the kitten up to him. It opens its eyes which are a bright gold, and purrs a little.

"See taicho? It likes you!" I can tell he's weakening. Going in for the kill, I make him an offer that he can't refuse. "I'll do all of my paperwork for the next month."

I can tell that I've won. He sighs, and then reaches forward to stroke the kitten on the head. "Fine, you can keep it."

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

"You're the best, taicho!" she says with a smile, as she examines the kitten. "It's a girl! What should I name her, taicho?"

"How should I know?" I ask in exasperation. She gives me the puppy-dog eyes again, knowing that I can't refuse them. I growl softly, but reconsider. "She's a white cat and we found her in the snow… so how about Yuki?" I offer.

She squeals again. "That's perfect, taicho!" She dances around, holding the newly named Yuki in her arms. I sigh, knowing that this kitten will probably cause trouble later. But I get a month of her doing paperwork (that she's _supposed_ to do anyway) out of it. And besides, Yuki _is_ kind of cute.

We wander on with no idea about where we are or where we are going. Yuki the kitten, revived by Matsumoto's doting attention, mews and butts her white head against Matsumoto's arm. Matsumoto gives one of her brilliant smiles and gently places the kitten on the ground, where the small animal bounds through the snow, curiously poking her little nose into everything.

Suddenly, Yuki scampers over to another small shape in the snow. Matsumoto follows the kitten and shrieks happily as she sees what it is. "Taicho! Come and see!"

"Not again!" I grumble. I walk over to where my fukutaicho is bent over her newest discovery.

"What is it this time?" I ask. She carefully holds up her cupped hands, revealing a pale bundle of spikes. I bend over, peering at the shape curiously. The creature uncurls, revealing two bright eyes and a small pointed nose.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

"It's a baby hedgehog, taicho!" I exclaim. "Isn't he just adorable?!" At the sound of my voice, the hedgehog trembles and quickly rolls back into a ball.

"Oops," I whisper. "Sorry, little guy."

"Don't be so loud!" My taicho murmurs. He is obviously fascinated by the small animal that is curled up in my hands.

"You want to hold him?" Without waiting for an answer, I gently transfer the hedgehog to my taicho's outstretched hands. Yuki leaps up and down, trying to get a better view. She's just like me—always curious about new things. I pick her up, stroking her little head.

My taicho carefully extends a finger and also strokes the little spiky bundle that is in his hands. In response, the hedgehog uncurls again, blinking up at him and snuffling cautiously at his hands. My taicho smiles a little bit. If I'm inquisitive and lazy like a cat, then he is like that hedgehog, spiky and quiet.

"We're definitely keeping him!" I whisper.

"You already have a cat," he replies. "You don't need a hedgehog too."

"But I know you like him, taicho!" I retort. "Don't try to deny it!" He doesn't.

"So it's settled! We have another addition to our little family!" I exclaim, but softly this time. "And I get to name him because you named Yuki."

My taicho doesn't protest, at either of my pronouncements about keeping and naming the hedgehog.

"Hmmm." I muse out loud. "Well, when he's curled up, he looks kind of like a bunch of icicles, doesn't he? And like Yuki, we found him in the snow…I got it!" I turn to the hedgehog. "Your name is Koori!"

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

Yuki and Koori. Snow and ice. I guess they go together. I wonder what Yammamoto is going to say when he sees them. But then again, I have disrespected his express orders by ditching that stupid meeting, and left my squad unsupervised, so I guess a couple more things on the list won't hurt.

Matsumoto is charging onwards as always, a huge smile on her face as she holds her new pet. As long as she's smiling, why should I care what that old man thinks? I guess my mission is succeeding, but I'm nowhere near finished yet. I still have plenty of time left today to give her more good memories to replace those of Ichimaru.

"Taicho!" I hear. "What's keeping you?!"

"Mew!" That's from Yuki. I shunpo over to them, keeping a gentle grip on Koori.

"There you are! I was wondering if you had fallen in a snowbank that was bigger than you are and I was going to have to come and dig you out!"

"The only one who's going to be falling into snowbanks today is you, Matsumoto!" I retort, glaring a little at the insult to my height. She giggles and dashes away. "Get back here!" I call, and give chase.

Cat, dragon, kitten, and hedgehog: what an interesting team we are. But, as long as Rangiku is happy, I wouldn't want it any other way.

0-0-0

**koori the hedgehog was inspired by the story kindred spirits by dragonkit :)**

**i hope you liked this chapter :D**

**see you next time!**

**-stormwolf527**


	5. princes and princesses

**another day, another chapter!**

**this one is pretty fluffy, and it's also the shortest one but i like it anyway :D**

**thanks to all the reviewers, i love you guys so much ;)**

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

After watching our new pets shiver in the cold, I relinquish my grip on the weather, allowing the world to return to its natural summer temperature. Rangiku takes advantage of this, and is now wandering through the field, Yuki at her side. I lie on my back against a rock, content to watch her enjoying the beautiful evening. There is also a great view from the hill of one of the nicer districts of the Rukongai. I can hear music and guess that there's some celebration going on. Koori is exploring too, his little nose sniffing the ground eagerly as he searches for something to eat.

This day has turned very interesting. My original plan was to take Rangiku flying, so that she could forget her sadness among the clouds. But as always, she is doing things her own way. Not that I care, her free spirit is one of the things that I love the most about her.

She walks back towards me, another smile lighting up her face. She's holding a crown made from woven flowers and with a flourish, places it on my head. "I now pronounce you Prince Toshiro!" she declares, standing back to admire her handiwork.

I start to glare, but can't muster up the heart. "She's got me wrapped around her finger, hasn't she?" I mumble to Koori, who of course, doesn't respond.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

I think that my taicho actually looks good with flowers in his hair. The brightness of the flower-crown brings out the pure white of his hair. To my surprise, he doesn't protest at the childishness of my action. He closes his eyes for a second, and a small tiara formed from ice appears in his hands. My eyes widen at its beauty as he reaches up to set it on my head.

"Well, every prince needs a princess." he says, a smile growing on his face. His voice grows playful, a tone that I have rarely heard my normally serious taicho speak with. This trip has changed both of us for the better. "So tell me, what do princes and princesses do?"

"Well, they get to boss people around—but I guess we already do that," I reply with a smile. "Let's see, they also get to live in fancy houses and hold balls and stuff like that. They can get into all the good bars, and they have lots of money, so they can go shopping a lot! Oh, and they don't have to do paperwork!" I add hopefully.

He rolls his eyes. "Well, I can't do anything about the fancy house or bars, and you go shopping a lot anyway...I strongly doubt that Yammamoto-soutaicho is going to give us a raise after what we've done today, and as for paperwork, you rarely do it in the first place! But, I can try to carry out at least one of those things so…" he holds out his hand to me. "Princess Rangiku, will you give me the honor of a dance?"

I'm surprised, but also happy. "Of course, Prince Toshiro." I say, and we begin dancing slowly to the music of the far off party in Rukongai.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

We start off a little awkwardly, but as time goes by, we find the rhythm and move in perfect harmony. We follow each other's steps so perfectly, that it is as if we are sharing one mind.

It feels like one of those fairy tales where a prince falls in love with a beautiful princess. And no matter happens, they overcome the obstacles and live happily ever after. Yet even though everything still has an unreal air, I am also super aware of everything going on in the little bubble of space that surounds the two of us.

As we dance effortlessly across the ground, more flying than stepping, there is no doubt in my mind that we are made for each other. I can't take my eyes off of her, can't stop drinking in the sight of her, the elegance with which she moves, the ice tiara on top of her long flowing hair, her shining blue eyes, her smile.

There is nobody else in the world that I would rather be with. My heart feels so full of joy that it is almost about to leap from my chest and soar in the sky.

No matter what happens next, it is all worth it just for this moment dancing with her, being with Rangiku, my princess and my heart's desire. Together, we can overcome any obstacle.

I'll make our story have a happy ending.

0-0-0

**i actually don't have anything to say here today...i just hope you liked it ;)**

**actually, i think i might expand on the fairy tale theme. what does that mean? you'll find out next time!**

**review if you want, and see you tomorrow!**

**-stormwolf527**


	6. sunsets and stories

**i always love wednesdays because i people have uploaded new episodes of the anime onto the web! i'm so glad that the whole nnoitra vs. kenpachi thing is over...not that i don't like kenny, cause he's awesome, but just because it was taking WAY too long...**

**but i'm sure you are more interested in the story so here is chapter 6!**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

We dance until we can dance no more, and collapse exhausted onto the soft grass. But after being in such perfect harmony for so long, I can't stand to break our contact. Instead, I rest my head on his lap. He looks a little startled at first, but then smiles and twines his hands in my hair.

The sun is setting now, and both of us contemplate in it silence. Another day is ending, but instead of feeling saddened that it has gone by without Gin, I am happy that I was able to spend it with my taicho. I no longer see the blazing orb descending from the sky with the bitterness that I had after Gin left me. I'm not afraid of being abandoned anymore, because I know that my taicho has always got my back, just as I've got his. Instead, I simply admire the beauty of the rainbow-painted sky, and look forward to what tomorrow might bring.

Yuki butts her little head against my leg, and I obligingly pet her, even though I barely have the energy to lift my arm.

"What a tiring day…" I say with a yawn. "Are we going back to the barracks?

My taicho shakes his head. The crown of flowers that I made for him has half-slipped off of his snowy head, causing him to look even cuter. "It's too dark for me to fly—besides, I have no idea where we are. We'll have to stay here overnight and go back tomorrow morning."

I don't mind at all at the chance to spend more time with him. As I relax against him, I find my eyes starting to close of their own accord. But ever since Gin left, I've been having nightmares that plague me whenever I go to sleep. I don't want that to happen, so I resolve to stay awake somehow.

"Taicho?" I ask, searching for a method to keep myself from falling asleep.

"What is it?" he inquires.

"Can you tell me a story?"

Hitsugaya Toshiro

"A story?" I repeat. She nods, and once again, I can't say no to her. I rack my brains, but no story comes to mind. But she's looking at me with such expectancy that I decide to improvise and see what happens.

"Once upon a time…" I start, figuring that that is a good place to begin as any.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. She had long blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. But the thing that everybody loved the most about her was her smile. When she smiled, it lit up the room she was in, and made everybody around her want to smile as well. While she was smiling, the world became a brighter place. Now, there was a man, a prince, who the princess loved. He promised that he would always be there for her, but one day he vanished without saying goodbye." I am surprised at the way this story is going. It is as if I have no control over the words that are coming out of my mouth.

"The princess was heartbroken. She cried for days, and whenever she tried to fall asleep, she had nightmares about the prince who had abandoned her. And she stopped smiling. It was as if all of the happiness and life that had once infused her had drained away, leaving only a shadow of her former self. She had placed a shell around herself, so that nobody else could see her true self and hurt her the way that the first prince had.

Soon, another prince came along. He had fallen in love with the princess ever since he had first seen her smile. But, she was still saddened by the loss of the first prince, and the second prince often caught her staring out the window as if she was willing for her love to come back.

Whenever he watched her sit by the window and grieve, he grieved as well, not for the first prince, but for the loss of the happy woman that he had once known. But the second prince refused to give up and leave her to her sorrow. Because even if she didn't return his feelings for her, he valued her happiness over any other thing. So he made it his mission to save her from the sadness that was engulfing her. He let her know that he would always be there for her, and no matter how long it took, he would help see her through her sadness. And if she was ever ready to open her heart and love again, he would be everything that the first prince was and more.

And then one day, he decided to go even farther, and swore to himself that he would not rest until he managed to make her smile again. He would find a way to give her the happy ending that she deserved."

I pause and look down. Rangiku's eyes are closed, and I wonder if she's fallen asleep. Then she stirs a little.

"That's a good story, taicho," she mumbles sleepily. "But I feel sorry for the princess—nobody deserves to be left alone like that. I hope…I hope that she realizes how much that prince loves her and that he will be able to smile again."

Her breathing evens out, and I realize that she's fallen asleep.

I gently brush her hair back from her face and whisper softly so that I don't wake her. "I hope that she does too."

0-0-0

**kinda corny i know, but what can you do...considering that it's hard to make up fairy tales, i think that disney should hire me :D**

**reviews make my day (i mean night) but no pressure, this story is completely for my pleasure (though hopefully yours too) :D**

**see you tomorrow!**

**-stormwolf527**


	7. nightmares and confessions

**here is chapter 7 everybody! **

**dedicated to rachel noelle who has kindly given me a review for every single chapter and put me in such a good mood that even my upcoming finals don't depress me (well, maybe they do a little...)**

**also thanks to all the others who have boosted my ego by reviewing, favoriting, and story alerting ;)**

**now enjoy!**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

_It is dark. That is all that I know. It's surrounding me, crushing me, engulfing me, and I can't break free. I scream for help, but nobody is answering me. My greatest fear is coming true—I'm all alone. _

_Then I see him. Gin. _

_He looks as he did when we were growing up together in the Rukongai, with only each other for company. He's walking away from me. With each step he takes, he grows a little bit older, until I see his familiar back. His back gets smaller and smaller, and soon I am afraid that he will be gone for good and I'll be alone again. _

"_Wait!" I call. He doesn't turn around. "Gin—tell me…where are you going now?" He doesn't answer, he never did. He always left without saying goodbye. But I'm not going to let that happen this time. _

_I chase after him, but no matter how hard I run, I never get any closer to him. He's still walking away, leaving me behind._

_I keep running, pouring all my strength into my pounding feet. Suddenly, I'm right next to him, but he still keeps on walking. I grab onto his shoulder. "You're not going anywhere until you give me an explanation!" I cry out angrily._

_He turns to face me. His eyes are wide open and glistening scarlet. I would have preferred his false grin to the look that he is giving me now. A shiver runs down my back as I stare at him, and his smile widens, becoming less like even the false one that I was familiar with and more like—a hungry beast. _

_Then suddenly, the figure of my childhood companion is gone. In the place where he stood, there is an enormous silver and black snake. It coils around me, crushing my chest until I can barely breathe. I beat my hands against the snake's side, but it is useless. I can't escape. _

_It dips its scaly head to look at me, and its eyes are Gin's. The snake opens its mouth and laughs, a hideous sound that grows louder and louder, multiplying until it becomes so loud that I can't bear it any longer and scream. I scream Gin's name, first hoping that my calls will make him come back. But when there is no response and the snake only continues to chuckle, I scream with all the hatred and pain that has been bottled up inside of me ever since he left me. I scream and scream and scream, but I can't break free…_

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

After watching Rangiku fall asleep, her golden head resting on my lap, I stare contentedly at the dark sky. Suddenly, she starts to shake in her sleep, moaning softly. Even though I can't tell what she is saying, I can hear the pain in her voice. Suddenly, she starts screaming Gin's name. I grit my teeth. No matter how far we have come, I can't stop that bastard from haunting her dreams.

I try to wake her, but instead she starts to thrash, still in the grip of her nightmare.

"Rangiku!" I whisper. Koori pokes his small head out of my shihakusho and looks at Rangiku curiously. As she continues to scream, the small hedgehog shudders and curls up into a ball.

I keep trying to wake her up, but to no avail. Even when I threaten her with a year's worth of paperwork, she still doesn't wake up. Yuki, who had been batting at her mistress's side with her small paws, gives up and stares at Rangiku with a golden eyed look of distress that mirrors my own. We both gaze helplessly at her. "Rangiku," I call again, hoping that the sound of my voice will bring her back from whatever nightmarish world she is dwelling in.

But she isn't responding. "Keep fighting Rangiku! I know that you are stronger than Ichimaru." And as she continues to struggle in my arms, all that I have left to do is to hold onto her with all of my strength, and hope that some of it will flow into her.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

_Suddenly, the snake vanishes, its shadowy coils evaporating from around my body. For a moment, I hope that this terror is over. But then, without warning, the ground melts away from underneath me and I'm falling. _

_Falling into a black hole that seemingly has no end. And even though I cannot see the snake, I can feel its malevolent red eyes fixated upon me as I fall. I scream again, but the only response that I get is the snake's sinister chuckle, echoing around me as I descend helplessly into the darkness…_

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

My cries are getting desperate, but Rangiku still is deep within her nightmare. Yuki is looking at me; the kitten's eyes are wordlessly demanding that I do something. But I don't know what else to do. I don't have the power to bring Rangiku out of the torture that she is suffering, and I hate myself for it.

"Rangiku!" I try again. "Please…please wake up!"

I'm begging now. Still embracing her tightly, I gently bring her head up so that it is level with my mouth. I whisper into her ear, hoping that somehow my words will manage to reach her, no matter how far away she is.

"Rangiku…please come back." When there is still no response, I finally decide to voice the words that have lain unspoken in my heart for so long. "You can't leave me—I…I love you."

TBC...

0-0-0

**oooh, a cliffie ;)**

**seriously, none of this stuff is planned: i just thought that i should take a break before starting the next chappie...please don't kill me ;)**

**i DO have two finals tomorrow and i SHOULD be cramming, but instead i'm writing fanfiction...**

**so you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the next chapter, but you can handle that right ;)**

**see you tomorrow!**

**-stormwolf527**


	8. stars and wishes

**here is the (hopefully) much anticipated chapter 8!**

**i really have nothing to say, except that this is probably my favorite chapter so far so just enjoy it ;)**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

"…Rangiku…please come back."

I hear his voice, spiraling around me as I fall into the darkness.

"…You can't leave me…I love you."

I love you.

Gin had never said those words to me, not once.

Suddenly I feel wings wrap protectively around me. When I look up, I see him. His green eyes are warm and he reaches out, grabbing my hand in his. The darkness starts fading away and I am not falling anymore. Instead, I am flying through an endless blue sky with him besides me.

"Toshiro…" I whisper. Somehow, saying his first name in my dream comes naturally to me. He smiles and pulls me closer.

"Rangiku," he whispers. "I love you with all my heart and if you ever need me, no matter what, I will always be by your side. Now and forever."

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

She's calm now. Instead of the fear and pain that had previously been on her face, there is a small smile.

"Toshiro…" I hear her say softly. Even though she's still sleeping, I love the way that my name sounds when it comes from her lips.

"I'm right here," I whisper to her. "And I always will be."

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

Slowly, I come back to consciousness. I keep my eyes closed though, not willing to fully wake up. But eventually, I can't take it anymore and open my eyes. The first thing that I see is my taicho's face. I am still lying in his lap and he is looking at me with concern.

"So you are finally awake," he says with a relived smile. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah…" I reply. "Thank you, taicho. For everything…"

He looks at me with confusion, but then reaches down and embraces me gently. I relax in his hold and look at the star-filled night sky. I never have experienced the night like this before, usually by this time of night, I am sleeping or drunk. The beauty of it takes my breath away.

"Look, taicho!" I exclaim excitedly, pointing up at the sky. His gaze follows my outstretched arm and he smiles.

"A shooting star…" It arches across the sky, a bright streak of white light.

I have only seen shooting stars a couple of times in my life and none recently. When Gin and I were growing up, we would often watch the sky together, and sometimes we would witness one of these beautiful celestial events. "Gin…" I would ask him every time. "If that star could grant you whatever you wanted, what would you wish for?" But no matter how many times I asked him that, he never answered me, instead he would turn away, smiling falsely and closing his eyes.

"Taicho…" I say, still staring up at the sky. "If that star could grant you whatever you wanted, what would you wish for?" I am curious about what his answer will be. Knowing him, his greatest wish would be to grow a couple of inches, so that he wouldn't constantly be in the position of being squashed against my chest.

He considers my question for a few seconds. "I'd wish for your happiness." he responds simply.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

She looks at me in shock, as if she couldn't believe that somebody would ever care that much about her. My heart clenches. Doesn't she realize what a wonderful person she is, a beautiful woman, a strong fighter and a loyal friend?

There is nothing else in the world that I could possibly value over her, and I want her to realize that with every particle of my being.

So I bend down and kiss her.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

The first thing that came into my mind was that my taicho—my normally cool, grumpy, taicho—was kissing me. The second thing was the taste of his lips, a freshness that I could only describe as the taste of winter. The third thing was that it was nothing like kissing Gin had been. With Gin, it had been over in a brief moment of wild passion, but with my taicho, it was slow and gentle, giving me time to savor the feeling of our bodies pressed together. It's a whole different experience, but I love every single second of it.

It's over far too soon, our mouths breaking away from each other. Suddenly tired, I no longer have the strength to hold my body up and I fall backwards. But before I can collapse onto the ground, I feel his strong arms reach around me and lower me back onto his lap (well partially anyway, as I am still much taller than he is).

Too stunned by what just happened to speak, I can only stare up at him in silence.

"W-w-why?" I finally manage to stammer out.

He's blushing a little; the flower crown that I made him is hanging crookedly on his head, giving him a look of bewilderedness.

"Because I love you, Rangiku. Because you are not just my fukutaicho, but my loyal friend. Because whenever I'm with you, I can be myself again. Because you mean everything to me, and because if that star up there could grant wishes, the only thing that I'd ever wish for is your happiness."

After that surprising burst of passion, he calms down and stares back up at the sky. The passage of the star above is reflected in his eyes. I can't stop thinking about all of the things that my taicho has done for me, from bringing me here to stopping my nightmares. He even managed to make me laugh and smile again, things that others had tried and failed to get me to do ever since Gin had left.

"Hey Rangiku," he says softly. I lift my head off of his lap to look at him. "What about you? If that star could grant _you_ whatever you wanted, what would you wish for?" I blink. Nobody has ever asked me that question before.

But as I look up at his youthful face, I realize I don't have to even think about the question. The only thing in the world that I could ever want is sitting right beside me.

"That's a silly question," I respond, smirking a little at his confusion. "You want to know what I would wish for?" I stretch my neck up so that I can look him in the face. "My wish has already been granted because the only thing that I would ever wish for—"

I cup his face in my hands and kiss him. It starts off gentle, but as he responds it grows in intensity, until we both break away, gasping for air.

"—is you." I whisper when I get my breath back.

And as he smiles at me, I make a promise to myself. Underneath the light of the shooting star, I vow to place Gin behind me for good, and instead of mooning over the past, to look towards the future at last. The future, where Toshiro is waiting for me.

0-0-0

**Good? bad? what do you think?**

**writing this scene did make me very happy-i hope you liked it too :D**

**but don't worry, this story isn't over yet!**

**until tomorrow**

**-stormwolf527**


	9. sunrises and rebels

**Whooooo-hoooooo, chapter 9 everybody!!!**

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

When I wake up the next morning, it is still dark outside. As my eyes adjust, the first thing that I see is him. I'm using his chest as a pillow while his arms are wrapped around me. He is still sleeping soundly and I smile. Usually he's the one who is awake and working at the crack of dawn, while I sluggishly enter the office by noon and then spend the rest of the day sleeping.

He stirs a little and mumbles something that sounds suspiciously like "Rangiku…" He looks so cute and innocent in his sleep that I can't resist stroking his hair, something that I have always dreamed of doing.

As I run my hands through the fluffy white strands, his eyes flutter open and he stares at me sleepily. "Good morning, Toshiro!" I exclaim.

"I don't see how you can call it morning—the sun hasn't even risen yet," he responds slightly grumpily. However, his frown softens when I reach up to kiss him gently.

"Don't be so grouchy!" I say with a smile. "Now lighten up and watch the sunrise with me."

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

Slowly, the sun ascends into the sky, turning the clouds into a rainbow of blazing color.

"I have a feeling that this is going to be a good day," Rangiku says contentedly from besides me. I remember all of the trouble that we are going to be in when we get back to Seireitei, but my mind shifts away from the thought. Because as long as I'm with her, then this day is already perfect.

Well we're not exactly alone. Yuki is still dozing on the grass, uninterested in the start of the new day, but Koori pokes his small head out from where he had been sleeping in my shihakusho.

What do hedgehogs even eat anyway? But any future problems are trivial compared to the peacefulness of this moment that I get to spend with Rangiku.

Suddenly, a Hell Butterfly flutters towards us. It looks very bedraggled, its wings are tattered and it only has the energy to flap a couple of inches above the ground. When it reaches us, it collapses onto my finger. "What's the message?" Rangiku asks, restraining a now very awake and eager Yuki from attacking the large insect.

"Juuban tai taicho Hitsugaya Toshiro," the butterfly gasps in Yammamoto's stern voice. "You and juuban tai fukutaicho Matsumoto Rangiku are ordered to return to Seireitei immediately to discuss your recent serious offenses of ignoring the taicho's meeting, and leaving your division unsupervised while you play around in the wilderness!"

With that, the butterfly falls off of my finger, no longer having the strength to hold on after its long journey to find us.

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

Stupid Yammamoto! It figures that old man had to ruin our morning, when he could have been doing something useful like devising a plan to stop Aizen! By 'discuss' recent events, he probably means 'throw both of you in jail while I contemplate on how to execute you now that the Sogyoku has been destroyed'. The smile that had lit up Toshiro's face when we were watching the sunrise together has vanished, leaving his face dark.

"Well, we _could_ have been kidnapped by Aizen," I say, trying to put some humor in the situation. "He didn't have to instantly accuse us of all of those things. Besides, that old man must be going senile because you didn't ignore any taicho's meeting!"

He reddens slightly. "Actually…"

I remember the Hell Butterfly that had appeared earlier when we were in the office. I'd been staring out the window and had missed the message, but when I'd asked my taicho about it, he'd said that it was unimportant.

"Toshiro…" I say with a sinking feeling. "That message from earlier…you—"

He cuts me off. "Like I said, it wasn't important." I open my mouth to protest, but he interrupts me again. "Nothing is more important to me than you, especially not Yammamoto and his pointless meetings!"

I want to cry at his selflessness, I don't deserve to be loved by somebody as good as he is.

He reads my mind _again_, I still have no idea how he does that. "There is nobody else in the world that I would rather have than you," he whispers fiercely as he embraces me tightly. "Nobody."

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

She looks depressed again. Damnit, I just had managed to help her get over Gin, and now because Yammamoto showing up at the wrong time (he probably was spying on us just so that he could calculate the best possible moment to ruin our day), she's unhappy again. I really want to go back to Seireitei and kick that old man's sorry ass. But that would probably cause some problems, so I guess I'll have to hold off on that for now.

But still, I'm definitely not in the mood to hear him yell at us about abandoning our duties. I just got Rangiku back; there is no way that I'm going to lose her again.

I release her from my embrace, grab onto her hand and start to run. She tightly grips Yuki in her other hand, while looking at me in confusion. "Toshiro? I think that the Seireitei is in the other direction…"

"Who said anything about going back to Seireitei?" I say, laughing recklessly. I'm a little surprised at how much being with her is changing me, just another thing for Yammamoto to add onto his long list of our sins.

"The sun has only just risen, and you did say earlier that this was going to be a good day." I add. "Well I'm going to hold you to that—today, instead of being Matsumoto-fukutaicho and Hitsugaya-taicho, we are just going to be Rangiku and Toshiro. And if the old man has a problem with that, well he'll have to catch us first!"

She smiles. "So what are Rangiku and Toshiro going to do first?"

I smirk back. "You'll find out soon enough…this day has only just begun!"

0-0-0

**Interpet THAT how you will ;) **

**i loved writing this, i can totally picture toshiro as having a rebellious side, can't you?**

**tomorrow they return to the seireitei...see you then!**

**-stormwolf527**


	10. mission accomplished?

**10 days, 10 chapters!**

**and with both great happiness and great sadness, here is the last chapter of mission for happiness. **

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

The sun was low in the sky as Toshiro and I finally return to the Seireitei, with Yuki bounding at my side and Koori resting inside Toshiro's shihakusho. We had had a very wonderful, very tiring day. All I want to do now is to sleep, with Toshiro by my side. I can tell that he feels the same way, hoping that we can sneak back to the 10th Division and deal with the consequences of our actions tomorrow.

But this is not to be. Because in order to get to the 10th Division, we are going to have to pass by the 1st.

"Ah, Hitsugaya-taicho, Matsumoto-fukutaicho." SasakibeChojiro, fukutaicho of the 1st Division, stands outside of the 1st Division headquarters, giving us a disapproving look. "Yammamoto-soutaicho requires your presence _immediately_ for your long awaited discussion."

"I guess we're busted," I whisper to my taicho, who nods despondently. We follow Sasakibe into the 1st Division.

I suddenly realize what we look like. Toshiro has a lopsided flower crown resting on his head, and Koori's nose is sticking out of his shihakusho. The haori that is his pride and joy cannot be described as white, even by a colorblind person. My clothing is not in a much better state and my hair is full of grass and twigs, along with the ice tiara that Toshiro created. Not to mention that we are both completely covered in dried mud from yesterday's mud fight.

"I'm kind of embarrassed to go in front of Yammamoto-soutaicho this way," I murmur to Toshiro. "We must look like such a mess."

"You still look beautiful to me," he responds with a smile.

As we reach the doors of the 1st Divison meeting room, Sasakibe bows stiffly and leaves. Nervously, I take Toshiro's hand and he squeezes it gently. "Don't worry, it'll be okay," he whispers reassuringly as the doors swing open.

0-0-0

Hitsugaya Toshiro

When we enter, I can tell that we are in serious trouble. Yammamoto is sitting on his large chair in the center of the room. I've never understood why he always gets to sit down while the other taichos have to stand during his meetings. I guess the old fart just likes making everybody around him miserable.

Yammamoto's squinty eyes widen slightly at our approach.

"So you finally decide to grace us with your presence, Hitsugaya-taicho," he says acidly. I say nothing, inwardly debating whether I should argue or silently accept my punishment. "Explain yourself."

Even though I would love to yell at the old man, he _is _the soutaicho. He would probably throw us both in jail, though as long as I am placed in the same cell as Rangiku I wouldn't care less (A/N: I couldn't help myself, Rachel Noelle ^_^).

"I have nothing to say, soutaicho," I reply. "I did what I thought was right, and I can't say that I regret it, though I accept all responsibilities for my actions."

Yammamoto nods. "Well it has been a long day and it is getting late, so I will allow you two to return to your quarters for now. You can get a start on the paperwork that has no doubt accumulated in your absence. Tomorrow, you will be summoned back here so that I, along with the other taichos, can discuss your punishment. I trust that you will not ignore the messenger this time, Hitsugaya-taicho?" I nod, though I want to tell him what he can do with his stupid self-righteous speech. "We will speak more of this in the morning, you are dismissed!"

"Well, that wasn't so bad was it, Toshiro?" Rangiku says when we exit the 1st Division. "His eyesight must be fading or something, because he didn't even notice Yuki or Koori!"

I sigh, my brain feels too tired to function properly. Walking together, still holding hands, we reach the 10th Division.

It seems as if Yammamoto, that spiteful old man, has vindictively allowed every piece of paperwork floating around the Seireitei to end up in my inbox. Groaning, I reach for the first piece. It's going to be a long night…

0-0-0

Matsumoto Rangiku

He looks so depressed, his hands automatically moving from paper to paper. I sit at my (rarely used) desk holding a brush, though not actually writing anything. Yuki is playing with my unused inkstone. Toshiro offered to do the paperwork and let me sleep, and though I normally would have jumped at the chance, it is kind of my fault that we're in this situation in the first place. Besides I don't think I would be able to have a good night's sleep without his familiar figure next to me.

Seeing the frown on Toshiro's young face, makes me feel so angry at Yammamoto. All Toshiro and I wanted was to spend some time together. Just because that stupid old man is probably like a 2,000 year old virgin doesn't mean that he should oppose others from having relationships.

And I know that Toshiro, selfless being that he is, will try to take all of the blame. He has already lost the happy smile that had adorned his face the whole time that we were in the wilderness, and I find myself missing it.

"Hey Toshiro?" I call.

"What is it?" he responds distractedly, his gaze still on his work.

"You know how earlier you told me that you took me from the office yesterday in order to make me smile again?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"I think that you can safely say that your mission was accomplished, right?"

He looks up at me. "Well I've seen you laugh and smile more times over the past 2 days than I have the past month, so sure, mission accomplished." He goes back to his paperwork.

"Well maybe your mission was accomplished, but mine wasn't. At least not entirely."

"What are you talking about? What mission?"

"Before I even knew about your 'mission', I made one for myself after we ran away yesterday." He looks at me curiously and I continue. "Part of it was to stop thinking about Gin and you helped me to do that."

He nods. "But you mentioned another part."

"Well Toshiro," I say, putting down my brush and walking over to his desk. "While you were trying to get me to smile, I noticed just how stunning _your_ smile was. And I realized that you don't smile that much. Your mission was a complete success, because now whenever I'm with you I just can't feel sad. But you're not smiling, and I'm going to do something about it."

"Wait Rangiku, what—"

I cut him off, grabbing his hand, and pulling him up from his desk. Piles of paperwork scatter everywhere. I drag him outside to the courtyard, ignoring his protests.

Once we are outside, I face him.

"Do you trust me?"

"O-Of course I do Rangiku," he stammers.

"Then let's go. I might not have any fancy ice wings like you do, but what Matsumoto Rangiku wants, Matsumoto Rangiku gets! And what I want is your happiness."

He starts to object, but then gives up. "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

I shake my head. "And this time, it's completely my fault, so you can't take the blame for it— Yammamoto's probably going to throw both of us in jail, but as long as we are both placed in the same cell, I couldn't care less!"

"I was thinking that exact same thing earlier," he says and he smiles. It's small, but it's there, and I'm not going to stop until I see it on his face 24-7. It will definitely freak out some of the other members of the Gotei 13, but hey, that's an added bonus.

0-0-0

**well there it is...i hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as i have enjoyed writing it. **

**if you did like it, there is definitely going to be more hitsuxmatsu coming your way from me, this couple is too cute to stop writing about ;)**

**thanks to all the reviewers...Rachel Noelle, SoaringHellButterfly, KatonRyuuka, Kohryu, and Aria52: your input has kept this story rolling :D**

**until whenever i next get inspired...**

**-stormwolf527**


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